Language of Muslim Delhi

Language and literature were not unaffected by the cultural melting pot of Delhi, Farsi (Persian) became the language of the state and of high culture In the early days of the Sultanate and attempts at blending It with the local dialect spoken around Delhi were seen in the poetry of Amir Khusro.

Slowly Urdu developed — blending a number of words from different sources including Persian and Turki, into the local language or Khari boll.

Zaban-e urdu-e mu'alla-e Shahjahanabad (the language of the exalted city/court of Shahjahanabad) underlined its close connection with the city. Urdu soon spread over much of the sub-continent, and its literature, (much of it produced in Delhi) is counted among the great literatures of the world.

Source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5743/

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